Paving means



March 19, 1935. c. c. H. TOMMERUP PAVING MEANS Filed Oct. 15, 1931 INVENTOR YJMMEW/P ARA 61/7.

W W ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 19, 1935 UNITED) STATES PAVING MEANS Carl C. H. Tommerup, Lakewood, Ohio 4 Application October 15, 1931, Serial No. 568,966

' 8 Claims. (01. 94-8) surface to be covered so as to form a grill defining a pattern of panels. The concrete or other covering material is then poured over the grill up to the height of the latter, and allowed to set; whereupon the mat becomes one of monolithic slabs, with the joints therebetween defined by the separator strips, and the joints being interlocking ones by virtue of the deformations in the strip. If it is desired that the joints be waterproof, the strips are provided with plastic waterproof covering before the pouring operation. a

It will be apparent that'while the invention is applicable to pavings generally, it is especially adapted for providing revetments upon fills such as levees, where settlement is to be expected, since the interlock I have providedis one against relative vertical motion at the joint yet allowing angular motion about the joint.

' The above makes evident the general and principal objects of my invention; but further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing in which Fig. l is a a plan view of the grill of separating elements, ready to receive the slab material; Fig. 2 is a side view of strip material from which the separator is made; Fig. 3 is a plan view ofan elementary separator made from the strip. shown Fig. 2; Figs. 4, and 6 are enlarged sectional elevations of the separator, with waterproofing applied, as in the planes of lines 4-4, 5-5 and 6-6, Fig. 3; Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are detail views showing a form of joint by which a number'of separator units are assembled to form the grill shown in Fig. 1, Fig. '7 being an enlarged plan view of the parts at the joint, and Figs. 8 and 9 being sectional elevations in the planes of lines 8S, and 99, respectively, Fig.7, broken lines indicating in Fig. 8 the manner of assembly; Fig. '10 is a plan view of one of the same units; Fig. 11 is a sectional elevation as in the plane of line 11+-1'1,-Fig. 1, aftercompletion of the mat; Figs. 12- 15 inclusive are views corresponding with Figs; 3-6, showing a modified form of separator element; Figs. 16'and 17 are views corresponding with Figs. 2 and 3 showing amodified form of separator element, broken lines indicating in' Fig. 16 where bends are made to produce the element as shown in Fig. 17; and Figs. 18, 19 and 20 areenlarged sectional elevations in the planes of lines 18-18, '19 -19.and 20 -20, Fig. 17, showing the separator with waterproofing applied.

V With reference now to the drawingand particularly to' Figs. .2- to 6 th'ereof,Fig. 2 shows an elementary section before fabrication. -It is simply a flat strip of material. such as metal, fiber or thelike, having suflicient. strength to hold the shape to which it will later be deformed aswill appear, and of 'width dependent upon the thickness of the mat to be laid. One edge is straight and the other maybe trimmed as indicated, for reasons which .Will appear.

This strip is so deformed, without interrupting either edge, that one edge extends alternately on either side of the other edge, and preferably the deformation is increased graduallyfrom one edge to the other, so that one edge is left straight as indicated Fig. 3. Preferably also the deformationis such that ina section transverse of the strip at one of the deformations the edge portions of the strip are parallel as indicated Figs..4 and 6. That the strip after deformation may stand stable when .positioned .with its straight edge uppermost, the deformed edge, that is to be lowermost, is trimmed as indicatedFig. 2, the width of the strip so varying, wider as the deformation is greater, so that. its deformed edge, the bottom edge Figs. 4, 5 and 6, will lie in a horizontal plane, rectangularly disposed with the general'vertical plane of the strip.

It will be apparent that if such a separator strip 'is positioned as in Figs. 3-6 inclusive, and plastic material such as a concrete mix, is poured or otherwise laid on either side thereof up to the height of the strip, and allowed to harden, the'result will be a pair of monolithic slabs having a joint therebetween defined by'the strip which separates them, the. joint being such that portions of: each .slab underlie adjacent portions of the otherfso that the slabs are interlocked against relative vertical motion at the joint. Theslabs are of course also interlocked, against relative motion along the joint, but may have some relative angular motion about the If the deformation is as indicated Figs. 3-6, with the edge portions of the strip paral- PATENT OFFICE lel at a section through one of the deformations, the edges of the slabs at the joint will have rectangular corners and thus: have strength to resist chipping.

If the deformation of the separator be increasing from one edge to the other of the strip, leaving one edge of the strip straight as indicated Figs. 3-6, it will be apparent that notwithstanding the two slabs are interlocked, the appearance of the joint from above will be. that of an ordinary butt joint.

- It will be apparent that the strength of the separator itself need be only suflicient for rigidity during the pouring operation. Obviously the separator, once it has functioned as a form in making the joint, may be left therein. If it is of ferrous metal it may eventually rust out without materially affecting the joint. If it is desired that the joint be waterproof, a thick coating of plastic waterproof material such as pitch, asphaltum or the'like'm'ay be applied to the separator as by dipping, before the separator is laid, or otherwise before the mat is poured; whereupon the joint will be waterproofed coincident with its forming, and willso remain notwithstanding expansion due to. temperature changes or bending due to settlement. Such waterproofing is indicated as applied in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

A separator such as thatv described may be employed straight withthe described. deformations continuously repeated, .asthe center parting strip in a highway pavement, and similarly in shorter lengths for the lateral separating strips in the'pavement. In various appropriate dimensions such: separators may be used wherever interlocked slabs are desirable in place of completely monolithic construction, and particularly where it is desired that the slabsbe interlocked at their joints against relative vertical motion.

Where. a'mat is to be made it is preferable to provide the separating elements in similar units which may be assembled to form a grill of regular pattern into which the monolithic material may be poured; and where this is done, it is highly desirable to provide the units with means for conveniently interlocking them'in the assembly of the grill.

Fig..10 shows a preferred formof sucha unit, which will be recognized as comprising a separator strip deformed as shown. Figs. 3-6, having three deformations, and having two 120 bends, one between each pair of deformations, to provide three stretches, each stretch having a straight upper edge and its lower edge deformed on one side thereof, the deformations of adjacent stretches being in opposite directions. Preferably the deformations are relatively slight as indicated, so that a plurality of the units may benested for shipment. The three stretches of the unit are substantially of equal length, but at its ends the unit is provided with tongues as at 1, Fig. 8. Also at its bends the unit is provided with slots 2 to receive the tongues of similar units, the slot of one unit receiving. the tongue of anotherunit by angular manipulation of the latter. as indicated. Fig. 8, sothat the completed joint will appear as shown Figs. '7, 8 and 9.

It will be apparent that from a plurality of such units a grill such as shown Fig. 1 may be assembled, working in transverse rows, upwardly Fig. 1. The upper edges of the units will present a hexagonal pattern, but in each hollow of the grill alternate sides are deformed at their bottom while the remaining three sides extend inwardly as they extend downwardly. Owing to the nature of the joints between units, the grill is sufficiently flexible that when laid each unit will rest upon the earth or other somewhat irregular supporting surface which is to be covered with the mat.

Upon completion of the grill the concrete or other mix is poured or otherwise positioned in the hollows of the grill up to the height of the separator units, and allowedto harden. Thereupon the mat is complete-as indicated Fig. 11, comprising a plurality of slabs, presenting from above the appearance of simply a hexagonal pattern, But each slab is actually interlocked with each of the six slabs surrounding it, three of these surrounding slabs having portions overhanging portions of the middle slab, and the middle slab having portions overhanging portions of the other three surrounding slabs. The mat is thus flexible to give upwardly or downwardly with the ground, yet without any rupture in the mat as a whole. Also if the separator units have been provided with the described coating of plastic waterproofing, the mat as a whole is waterproof, and will so remain notwithstanding some relative motion of slabssuch as caused by settling, temperature changes, etc.

While the grill specificaly illustrated and describedis founded upon a hexagonal system, it will be apparent that other patterns such as squares, diamonds, etc., may be chosen if preferred.- r

With reference now to Figs. 12-15 inclusive, a modified form of separator is shown, which form is preferable to that of Figs. 2-6 in that the necessary deformation comprises simple twists in the stock strip, in alternate directions.

With reference now to Figs. 16-20, a modified form of separator is shown, which form is preferable to that of Figs. 2-6 in that the necessary deformation comprises simple bends in the strip material; The arrangement of the deformations will be apparent from these figures. The stock striprshown Fig. 16 is bent in alternate directions ,along the broken lines indicated. in the figure to .provide the form indicated Figs. 17-20. The .stock strip is preferably cut away slightly as indicated at 3 so that the bottom edge of the finished separator will lie in a plane. 7

These modifications are employed in the same manner as the preferred form. r The joints produced by both modified forms will be similar to that produced by the preferred form, differing only in that the typical section through the joint will be a straight diagonal instead of the compound curves shown Fig. 11. This joint is inferior in that the edge faces of the slabs meet at acute angles so that the slab edges have inferior strength.-

What I claim is: i

.1. Aseparator unit'for ,the purpose described comprising a strip having two bends to pro- .vide'three stretches, the unit having interlocking means at its bends and at its ends, whereby a plurality of said units may be assembled with strip edges offset from each other in each of said stretches, and with opposite'directions ofoffset in adjacent stretches.

. 3. Aform. for a. flexible mat comprisinginterlocked separator strips, each bent to provide a plurality of stretches sloping alternately downwardly outward and downwardly inward, and said strips being assembled in a unitary structure with each strip interlocked with an adjacent strip at a bend or the latter.

4. A form for a flexible mat comprising, interlockedseparator strips, each bent to provide a plurality of stretches sloping alternately downwardly outward and downwardly inward, and said strips being assembled in a unitary structure with each end of each strip interlocked with an adjacent strip at a bend of the latter.

5. A form for a flexible mat comprising interlocked separator strips, each bent to provide a plurality of stretches sloping alternately downwardly outward and downwardly inward, and said strips being assembled in a unitary structure with the bends of each strip interlocked with an adjacent strip, the strips being arranged to provide a network of polygons each having an even number of sides.

6. A flexible mat for the purpose described comprising a plurality of separator strips, each strip having two 120 bends to provide three stretches, said stretches sloping alternately downwardly outward and downwardly inward, said units being assembled with each end of each unit adjacent another unit at a bend of the latter, to form a grill of hexagonal pattern, and monolithic material filling the voids of said grills to provide a mat of a plurality of slabs, each slab having three overhanging sides alternating with three overhung sides.

' 7. A form for a flexible mat comprising, interlocked separator strips, each of said strips being bent to provide a plurality of stretches with a corner between stretches, and said strips being assembled in a unitary structure with each end of each strip interlocked with an adjacent strip at a corner of the latter.

8. A separator unit for the purpose described, comprising a strip having a pair of bends providing three angularly related stretches disposed at 120 each from the next, with the opposite strip edges ofiset from each other in each of said stretches, and with opposite directions of ofiset,

in adjacent stretches. 

